What the morning brings
by Skovko
Summary: Roman has a temper, and Jacey knows it all too well. It doesn't help that she starts this evening by lying since he ends up believing she's cheating on him. Even after telling the truth, he still doesn't believe her, and he throws her out. She runs into Randy who surprisingly offers a helping hand.
1. Samoan temper

"Where were you?" Roman asked.

She looked at him with tired eyes. He was standing in the middle of their hotel room with his arms crossed and a not too pleased look on his face. She wanted nothing more than to tell him what had happened this evening, but she had sworn not to.

"Where were you, Jacey?" He repeated the question.  
"I was out with the girls," she answered.  
"You're lying," he said. "I went out with Seth, and we ran into the girls. You weren't there."

She tried coming up with another lie, but her mind was still foggy about everything that had happened. She had never lied to him before, and she didn't like being put in this position.

"Who is he?" He asked.  
"Huh?" She didn't understand the question.  
"Who are you cheating on me with?" He asked.  
"I'm not cheating on you," she said.  
"Bullshit!" He sneered. "One of the girls was so kind to tell me that you weren't out with them because you're fucking someone else, and I wanna know who the fuck it is!"  
"Oh, let me guess. Dana told you, right?" She snapped back.

She could see she had hit a homerun with that guess.

"You're so fucking stupid, Roman!" She continued. "Of course Dana lied. She's been trying to get with you since forever. You know this."  
"Stop lying to me!" He yelled.  
"I'm not lying!" She yelled back.

It didn't matter that she had sworn not to tell anyone. She hadn't been cheating on him, and she didn't want him to think that little about her.

"I was with Renee," she calmed her voice. "She was pregnant and lost her baby."  
"Renee's not pregnant," he let out a mocking laugh. "Dean would have told me."  
"It was too early to tell anyone. I found her in a bathroom at the arena, and I got her to the hospital," she said.

He thought about it for a few seconds, trying to figure out if it was another lie.

"No, Dean would have told me," he said. "Stop lying to me!"  
"I'm not lying, Roman," she said.  
"Get out!" He growled.  
"What?" She asked.  
"Get the fuck out! I don't wanna see you until you're ready to tell me the truth!" He kicked her suitcase towards her. "Get the fuck out of my sight, Jacey!"

She knew there was no arguing with him when he saw red like that. He would need to calm down first. She grabbed her suitcase and left the room. She felt bad about breaking Renee's trust, especially since Roman still hadn't believed her. Nothing she could do about that now. She moved to the elevator, and when the door opened, she found Randy inside.

"Hi Jacey, are you going home early?" He looked at her suitcase.  
"I don't know where I'm going," she sighed. "Roman kicked me out."  
"What? Why?" He asked.  
"Does it matter?" She asked.  
"Where are you gonna go?" He asked.  
"I don't know," she answered.  
"If you're not too scared to share a bed with me, you can room with me tonight," he offered.  
"Thanks," she said.

She finally stepped into the elevator, and rode with him a floor further up. She pushed her suitcase up next to his, and sat down on the bed.

"If he finds out I'm here, he's gonna kick your ass. He already thinks I'm cheating on him, and he wants to know with who. You're gonna be that person to him," she said.  
"Why would he think that?" He asked.  
"Dana," she sighed.  
"That girl's been drooling over him since day one," he chuckled.  
"To be fair, I did lie. I promised someone not to tell anyone, not even Roman, what happened today. I did tell him though. I had to since he accused me of cheating. He still doesn't believe me though," she said.

He opened his suitcase, pulled out a Mars bar and handed it to her. She laughed at the childish gesture. She would have suspected he would be the type of guy to offer a beer or revenge sex, but not a candy bar.

"Thanks," she said. "You're not gonna ask me what I did?"  
"No. Like you said, you promised not to tell anyone, and I'm pretty sure that includes me too," he said.  
"You're not as bad as your reputation says," she said.  
"I try," he winked. "Sometimes."

She unwrapped the candy bar, and he moved up behind her on the bed and started massaging her shoulders.

"He'll come around. We can all see how much he loves you," he said.  
"I'm not sure that's enough anymore," she sighed. "His temper has always been a problem. He blows up over the smallest things. I'm so tired of always having to carefully choose my words, or run and hide until it blows over."

He stopped massaging her, and instead tapped his fingers lightly on her shoulders.

"He doesn't hit you, does he?" He asked.  
"No, he's not violent. He just has the notorious Samoan temper," she answered.  
"We all hate that," he chuckled. "But good. Because if he did hit you, I would have a big problem with it."  
"I think this is a big enough problem already," she said.

She finished the candy bar and sighed.

"I'm just so tired, Randy. All the time," she said.  
"Do you wanna leave him?" He asked.  
"I don't know. I've thought about it a lot, and it does seem more and more appealing," she answered.  
"Well, you don't have to make a decision tonight," he hugged her from behind. "Let's get some sleep, and see what the morning brings."


	2. Casual flirting

It turned out Randy was the sweetest man to be around. His reputation really was way worse than he actually was. They went out for breakfast that morning, and he listened to her complain about her relationship. She got a lot of things out of her system, and not once did he stop her or tell her what to do. He simply listened.

"Give me your phone," he said.

She handed him her phone, and he put his number into it.

"There. If you need anything, call or text. Even if you just wanna tell me once again what a jerk he is," he said.  
"Thanks," she smiled. "You're really not a bad guy like many people say."  
"Don't tell anyone. I like my privacy, and people thinking I'm an asshole is a good way to keep them away," he winked. "Let's get to the arena."

They parted ways in the arena. Roman arrived a bit later, and he did everything he could to ignore and avoid her. She wasn't gonna go to him. He was still in a bad mood, and once he was ready to be an adult about it, he would come find her.

Unfortunately that never happened, and that meant that she had no ride home. Instead she took a cab to the airport and booked a flight while he drove home alone. When she finally came home around 3 AM, he was there. He was clearly still angry when she entered the home.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.  
"I live here," she answered.  
"Ready to tell me the truth?" He asked.  
"I already did," she answered.  
"I told you that I don't wanna see you until you're ready to tell the truth," he said.  
"I told you the truth!" She shouted.  
"Get out!" He shouted back.  
"You're kicking me out of my own home in the middle of the night?" She asked shocked.  
"It's my house. You're just a guest here," he said.  
"Fuck you, Roman!" She sneered.

She yanked up her suitcase again, and slammed the door on her way out. She called another cab, and soon she was back in the airport. She took out her phone and called the one person who wouldn't judge her.

"Hello?" Randy's tired voice sounded.  
"It's Jacey," she said.  
"What's up? Why are you calling me in the middle of the night?" He asked.  
"What would you say if I catch the next flight to Missouri?" She asked.  
"I'd ask what you like for breakfast," he answered.

He picked her up in the airport. He took her to the nearest coffee shop and bought her a large cappuccino before getting her out in his car.

"What happened?" He asked.  
"I'm still not allowed near him until I tell him the truth," she answered. "Or what he thinks it's the truth."  
"He's a stubborn donkey," he said.  
"You can say that again," she sighed.  
"I put a pancake dough together before I picked you up, so it's ready to be made as soon as we arrive," he said.  
"Right now you're the perfect man," she said.  
"You're easy to please," he chuckled.  
"With breakfast, yes," she grinned. "In bed is a whole other story."  
"I wouldn't mind finding out for myself if that's true," he grinned back.

This felt good. Casual flirting with a man. She wasn't gonna do anything with him, and she knew he wasn't gonna cross that line either. But she needed this. She needed to feel a bit desired even though there was nothing else to it.

"My castle," he said when they arrived.  
"Damn!" She whistled. "Why do I always fall for men with big homes?"  
"You know what they say about men with big homes, right?" He joked.  
"Big homes, big furniture?" She asked.  
"That too," he laughed. "And big everything."  
"I'll take your word for it," she laughed too.

He carried her suitcase inside and into a guest room.

"Your room, my lady," he said.  
"A double bed all for me?" She smiled. "Lucky me."  
"You can always share if you want," he said.  
"You said something about pancakes," she said.  
"Auch! Shot right in the heart!" He laughed. "Yes, pancakes. Let me feed you, gnome. Maybe you'll start growing."  
"I'm not that little," she pouted.  
"Total gnome," he ruffled her hair.

He walked out of the room and opened the door across from it.

"Laundry room. I doubt Roman gave you a chance to pack anything," he said.  
"He didn't," she said.  
"So put your stuff in the washing machine while I start on the pancakes," he said.

30 minutes later she pushed the empty plate away, and leaned back in the chair with a hand on her stomach.

"You're a great chef," she said.  
"Thanks," he smiled proudly. "I suck at baking though."  
"You leave that to me," she said.  
"Yeah? What will you make me?" He asked.  
"Anything your heart desires," she answered.  
"Careful now," he smirked.  
"I can't make myself into a cake," she laughed.  
"I can always cover you in whipped cream and lick it off," he wiggled his eyebrows.  
"You're bad," she said.  
"I don't hear you complaining," he said.

She sat up straight and smiled at him.

"Do you remember when you came down to NXT and trained us for a few days?" She asked.  
"Like it was yesterday," he answered. "I noticed you first thing. You were way better than the rest, and you didn't seem starstruck about me being there."  
"I was crushing so hard on you those days. I'm surprised you didn't pick up on it," she said.  
"I was too busy staring at your ass," he chuckled. "Which, by the way, is perfect to look at. You can't blame me for looking at an artwork like that."

She let out a sorrow-free laugh. Somehow he made everything seem easier.

"So what can I do around here?" She asked.  
"I have a pool outside," he suggested.  
"I don't have a bathing suit," she said.  
"I fail to see the problem," he said.  
"Are you ever gonna stop flirting?" She asked.  
"Are you?" He asked back. "And probably no. Unless you ask me to. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable here."  
"How about we go shopping for a bathing suit, and then spend the day outside?" She asked.  
"Great idea," he said.

Bathing suit, his ass. She had bought a white and light blue striped bikini, and it made him almost drool over the sight. The light tones went great with her shoulder length, dark brown hair and her royal blue eyes.

He managed to keep his dick down and not jump her like a creep. He wouldn't be that guy. Even though he had been crushing on her ever since that time in NXT too, he refused to be the asshole that made her have sex with him to get back at her boyfriend. As long as Roman was still in the picture, all he would do was flirt.

But damn it, if it didn't feel good to picture himself getting her out of that bikini, and having his way with her in his kingsize bed. His dick was gonna get some extra attention from his right hand the next couple of days.


	3. It's all clear

Randy felt like a lucky man. At first it had only been supposed to be those two days, but Roman was so convinced she was cheating that he kept avoiding her. Roman's stubbornness had worked perfectly for Randy. For three weeks he had been traveling with her, rooming with her, and having her in his house. Only problem was that he was no longer just crushing on her. He was in love with her.

"So I was thinking we could watch..." He stopped himself.

It was Sunday evening, and he had just taken a shower after the house show. Normally they would watch something before going to sleep. The look on her face let him know that whatever he had been planning was going to wait. She sat with her phone in her hand and looked at him.

"Roman called," she said.  
"And?" He asked.  
"He asked me to come by his room to talk," she answered.

He nodded and grabbed a tee from his suitcase. He suddenly felt naked in his boxers even though she had seen him like that every night.

"You should go," he said.  
"Randy," she sighed.  
"No, really, you should go and talk to him. See if you can work things out," he said.

He couldn't look at her. He didn't want her to see his face and the true feelings in his eyes. Instead he pretended to look for something in his suitcase. He heard her leave the bed and walk towards the door.

"I don't know when I'll be back," she said.  
"It's fine. I'll watch a movie or something, and then I'll go to bed. Don't worry about me. I'm gonna be fine without you," he said.

He was lying to himself and to her, but he couldn't tell her how he felt. Not now. It would be a pressure on her that she didn't deserve. She hadn't asked for him to start feeling things. He always knew Roman was her boyfriend even though he hadn't acted like it for three weeks. And she sure hadn't seemed like she missed Roman either. He heard the door open and close, and he sat down on the floor, staring into the wall.

"God damn it, Jacey!" He muttered to himself. "Why did I have to fall in love with you?"

Jacey knocked on Roman's hotel room. It felt weird to knock to be let into a room they were supposed to be sharing. He opened the door, and she looked at the man she was supposed to be in a relationship with.

"Come in," he said.

She walked into the room, and he closed the door behind her.

"So," he ran a hand over his head nervously. "Dean told me today."  
"Told you what?" She asked.  
"About Renee and the baby three weeks ago," he answered.  
"So now you believe me?" She asked.  
"Yes, I do. So what do you say we forget these last three weeks and start over? Maybe we can plan a trip to Hawaii or something?" He asked.  
"Just like that?" She asked. "You're not even gonna give me a real apology."  
"To be fair, you did lie to me first," he said.  
"I don't believe this," she muttered.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"I love you, Jacey," he said.

He kissed her, and for a few seconds she allowed it. There was a time she would melt in his arms, but now she wanted out of them. She pushed her way out of his arms and shook her head.

"What is it?" He asked.  
"I can't do this," she answered.  
"Really? You're gonna be a bitch about it now?" He asked.  
"You suck at apologies, you know that?" She snapped.  
"Whatever! Let's just sit down and talk, or whatever you wanna do. I'm over these last three weeks, and so should you be," he said.  
"It's so easy for you to say," she said. "Do you even care where I've been these last three weeks? You sent me out on the streets in the middle of the night."  
"You either stop being a bitch, or you get out!" He growled.  
"You're the bitch!" She shouted.

She stormed out of his room, down the stairs, and out of the hotel. She needed some air to clear her mind. Her walk took her into a Walmart. There wasn't many people in there this late, and she walked aimlessly around until one item caught her attention. Suddenly it was all clear to her. She grabbed the item and ran to the check out line before running back to the hotel.

"Randy!" She burst through the door.  
"What?" He looked at her.

He sat on the bed in boxers, and the tv running.

"Remember when you said you wanted to cover me in whipped cream and lick it off?" She asked.  
"Still fantasizing about it," he grinned.

She threw a bottle of whipped cream to him.

"Better make fucking good on that promise," she said.  
"Are you for real right now?" He asked.  
"Do you want me, Randy?" She asked. "Because I want you."

He stood up from the bed, hooked an arm around her waist, and crashed his lips down on hers. He kissed the living daylight out of her before moving his mouth to her ear.

"I want you naked on that bed in 30 seconds!" He growled in lust, and shook the bottle of whipped cream. "And you're not getting up until this bottle is empty!"


	4. Happiness

Jacey opened her eyes next morning and stared directly into Randy's eyes. Royal blue and ice blue melting together. He ran a hand up her back and pulled her closer.

"Morning, gnome," he kissed her.  
"I gotta say you were right about men with big homes," she chuckled.  
"I wouldn't lie to you," he chuckled too.

He kissed her again, taking a few moments to just feel her lying up against him.

"So where do we go from here?" She asked.  
"I can't lie to you, Jacey," he sighed. "You weren't the only one with a crush back when I trained you in NXT. And these last three weeks have made me fall in love with you. I want you. Not just in my bed, but in my life. I want a relationship with you. I wanna be able to proudly say that you're my girlfriend. And I understand if you don't want that. Just don't toy with my feelings. Tell me now, and I'll back off."

She kissed him, pushed him over on his back, and straddled him. She broke the kiss and looked at him.

"Roman kissed me last night, and I felt nothing. I was confused and angry, so I walked around. When I saw that bottle of whipped cream, everything was suddenly clear to me. I haven't been in love with him for a long time, but my mind didn't catch up until yesterday. I'm in love with you," she said. "So I'm asking you again, where do we go from here?"

He tightened his arms around her and smiled.

"Home?" He asked.  
"There's something I gotta do first," she answered.

Roman arrived home early Tuesday morning. Monday night RAW had been weird. Jacey hadn't been there. Commentators had said she was out with the flu, but he didn't believe that. As he drove into his driveway, he saw a moving truck in front of his house. He jumped out of his car and ran towards it.

"What the fuck is going on here?" He yelled.  
"Oh, hi Roman," she carried out a box. "I'm moving out."  
"Are you shitting me right now?" He asked.  
"No. Stephanie and Hunter gave me yesterday off, so I could go home and pack. I was hoping to be out of your way before you came home," she said.

She gave the box to one of the moving men, and then handed Roman the key to the house.

"That was the final box. Don't worry, I didn't take anything of yours. After all, I was only a guest here, so it's about time I move out," she said.  
"I didn't mean that," he said.  
"Just like you didn't mean it when you kicked me out in the middle of the night?" She asked.  
"I was angry," he defended himself.  
"You're angry a lot. You should seek help for that," she said. "Anyway, nice crashing here for a while, roommate. I'll see you around."

She grabbed her shoulder bag from the ground just as a cab drove up.

"Where are you gonna go?" He asked.  
"Missouri," she answered.  
"What's in Missouri?" He asked.  
"Happiness," she answered.

Randy stood waiting for her in the airport when she landed. She ran to him and jumped up in his arms.

"Wow, someone missed me," he chuckled. "I missed you too, gnome."  
"The moving truck should arrive tomorrow morning," she said.  
"How did he take it?" He asked.  
"As well as you could expect," she shrugged. "He's not my problem anymore."  
"No, I am your problem now," he chuckled.  
"Best problem ever," she pinched his ass with a giggle.  
"Hey!" He pulled her close again. "Behave or you won't get pancakes for breakfast."


End file.
